Ice age, how fears are born
by Lulu45
Summary: <html><head></head>This is my old story, It got deleted somehow and I have dicided to gve it another go:S</html>
1. Chapter 1

Ice age, how fears are born.

**Hello. I haven't been on this site for AGES! My story seems to have got deleted somehow. I don't know how, but I'm putting it back on as I DID mean to update. I just haven't had time. I know some people didn't really like the first chapter, but I'll give the story another go.**

**Lulu45.**

Disclaimer, I do not own any original characters, only my own.

Icy winds whipped the bear trees as Diego the sabre toothed tiger trod lightly over the snowy ground; he stopped a moment to sniff the air.

The scent of gazelle drifted on the wind.

Diego followed the scent; he crouched low to the ground and slunk behind a tree.

A gazelle stood about a hundred yards in front of him; Diego growled softly and crept forwards.

The short stretch of ground before the gazelle was sticks and leaves, Diego flattened his ears, this would lose him the element of surprise.

The gazelle continued to graze, Diego crawled forwards to the last bush before the open plain.

A hawk screeched above him, then Diego exploded out from the bush and raced as fast as he could towards the gazelle.

The gazelle bolted its head up; Diego flew over the sticks, and then suddenly…..CRASH!

Diego felt the ground fall away and he plunged up to his chest in thick tar!

Diego tried to move his legs, but they wouldn't budge, scared, the tiger twisted and tried to scramble out.

No use, the more he moved the faster he sank.

"Help!" cried Diego, he was really frightened now, the tar had reached his neck.

On the other side of the tar, the gazelle laughed at him, "aw too bad tiger!" he called "love to chat, but I can see you're a little_ stuck_ for time at the moment!"

Diego was more scared than he had ever been in his life, he thought about Manny and Sid, they would just assume he was hunting, and was fine.

"Help!" Diego yelled again "please someone!"

No answer.

The gazelle lent over and hissed, "don't waste your breath, nobody's around you know"

Diego let out a defeated sigh, a fat tear rolled down his cheek.

The gazelle screamed with laughter "ha, ha!" he shrieked "call yourself a tiger what a baby!"

Diego snarled and tore his paw out of the tar, he grabbed the gazelle's neck, "I'll get you!" he spat "mark my words!"

The gazelle leapt back, "oh yeah, well maybe in the afterlife sweetheart!" he mocked and galloped off, laughing.

Meanwhile, Manny and Sid were building camp, or at least trying to.

"For peats sake Sid!" yelled Manny, "will you stop putting those stupid flowers everywhere!"

Sid looked taken aback "sheesh, they just look good" he whispered.

Then Sid looked up, "where's Diego" he asked looking around.

"Hunting" grunted Manny.

"Yeah but that was ages ago" pestered Sid "you should go look for him"

"He's a tiger Sid!"

"Please, something's wrong, I know it is" Sid pleaded.

Manny sighed, inside he was slightly worried about their friend, "fine" he said, "but if he's OK you're dead Sid!"

_Aw poor Diego, sorry if this is a little rushed, explain more in next chapter._


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi. I have written another chapter. If it is rubbish please feel free to say so. I appreciate critical advise. So please R and R. **

**Lulu45.**

Manny and Sid hurried across the barren landscape. Sid shivered as the freezing wind stung his face, causing long icicles to hang from his running nose.

Manny glared at him. The mammoth was beginning to seriously detest the sloth's constant whinging.

"Will you put a sock in it!" he snapped. Looking up to see a small sabre toothed squirrel-rat in a overhead tree.

The squirrel snatched his acorn and proceeded to ram it down the hollow trunk of the tree.

Unfortunately this was a foolish action as the acorn slipped from the little Scrat's paws and disappeared into the tree.

Scrat howled in frustration, the started to pummel his head on the side of the bark.

Sid hugged himself, suddenly he screeched as his foot sank into a muddy puddle.

Manny glanced at him. "I'd advise being careful around here!" he informed the sloth. "Lots of sink-holes and tar pits around this area!"

Sid shuddered.

**Meanwhile.**

Diego started to choke as the sticky tar bubbled over his chin. The offending gazelle had long departed.

The sabretooth spluttered as the tar trickled over his bottom jaw and into his mouth.

He struggled, desperately trying to find some sort of foothold. But there was nothing in range.

He sank even deeper. Diego's mind flashed through images of his life.

At his birth place, with his mother. Learning to hunt with Soto, Zeke, Oscar and Lenny. His first year of life, the end of witch included travelling to Half Peak.

Then came the image of the fight at Half Peak between himself and Soto. Diego cringed at the memory of it.

He knew he only had a few moments to live, he'd be submerged very shortly.

The tiger thought of_ heaven_. The place he'd heard the eldest sabres talking about when he was a cub. He hoped the stories were true and tigers went there when they ended their life on this world.

Maybe he'd see Soto and the rest of his pack that the humans had killed there. Perhaps even Oscar, Zeke and Lenny. Though he doubted they were dead, probably living in the mountains some place.

Diego let out a small whine as the tar forced him to tilt his head back, barely keeping his airways free now.

Suddenly his ears pricked up as the sound of branches breaking sounded and the tall bushes surrounding him began to rustle.

As Diego tried to raise his exhausted head, he saw Manny emerge, closely followed by Sid.

The mammoth and the sloth were arguing. They stopped short, their eyes freezing on the near fully submerged form of Diego.

Diego whimpered loudly. "Help me! Please help me, Manny!"

Sid stuttered in terror as Diego sank deeper, the tar lapping over his mouth.

Manny rushed forwards, he edged as near to the side as he dared, He reached out his trunk.

"Grab my trunk!" the mammoth ordered sharply.

Diego tried to move his paws, they would not budge.

"Can't...Stuck!" he whined, gasping for oxygen.

Manny reached out further. Diego's eyes bore into the mammoth, pleading with him.

"Please..." whispered Diego. Then he disappeared under the surface.

"No!" screamed Sid. "Diego!"

Manny gritted his teeth, he took a step forwards. Reaching further than he thought possible, plunged his trunk into the tar, seizing Diego around the middle.

With a tremendous effort, the mammoth dragged him out of the tar and fell to the ground, panting.

Diego coughed and spluttered, tar oozed out of his mouth. He lay on his side, shaking with fear. His green/hazel eyes wide.

Sid ran to him and hugged him around his tar-caked neck.

Diego just stared in front of him, trembling all over.

Manny frowned, climbing to his feet, he placed his trunk on Diego's shoulder.

"You alright buddy?"

Diego didn't reply, he lay on the grass,. Not quite sure if he was alive or dead.

"You're OK you know!" Sid said, not quite sure what to say. It was clear Diego was very shaken up and neither Manny nor Sid wanted to upset the sabre by saying the wrong thing. They just looked at each other, wondering what to do.

Diego finally nodded his head robotically.

"Come on Di..." Sid began. But Manny gave him a sharp glance and shook his big head.

Diego slowly sat up, his legs almost giving way under him. "I...I'm a...alright", He muttered shakily. "J...just a bit..." The tiger paused. "shaken up".

Manny looked at Sid,. "Urm...We'll leave you on your own for a few moments if you like . Come on Sid!"

"B...but!" started Sid, then picking up on the point, followed. Leaving Diego sat on his own.

**Well, I hope that chapter was slightly better. I know it's not all hat long.**

**Anyway. R and R please. :S**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi:) Long time off. I just wrote a few random lines. If you don't like this, don't read, because I am writing what I want. I appreciate crit advise, just not flaming.**

Diego climbed slowly to his paws, trembling, he crept off into the undergrowth.

The sabre shivered with cold, he lay down under a bush, leaves sticking to the wet tar that encased his body.

Diego felt such a fool. He put his paws over his face.

Manny and Sid must think he was a big wimp now, Diego was shaking so badly, he was making the bush rustle.

Hot tars sprang to his eyes, Diego couldn't help it, he he really couldn't. He'd never been as terrified in his life.

"O...oh god". He whispered, wiping tar off his face. He remembered the gazelle, he'd probably spread the word by now that Diego was a complete wuss.

Diego felt sick, why had he done that? Why had he been such a baby. Tigers were supposed to be hard, not frightened of anything. Diego had thought he was like that. Maybe this was a horrible nightmare, maybe he'd wake up soon.

Diego scrambled further under the bush. The sabre's head was spinning, tears rolled down his cheeks. What was wrong with him? He loathed himself.

Diego curled up and cried to himself.

**OK that was rubbish. I'll update more soon. Sorry about it being so short.**

**Plez Comment:-}**


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